There are numerous patents and publications which describe various lateral-flow or immunochromatographic test kits and methods for the detection of the presence or concentration of chemical residues or analytes or classes thereof from liquid samples. One publication includes "A SHORT GUIDE-Developing Immunochromatographic Test Strips" by Millipore Corporation, Bedford, Mass., while U.S. Pat. Nos. would include 4,703,017, issued Oct. 27, 1987; 5,591,645, issued Jan. 7, 1997; 5,266,497, issued Nov. 30, 1993; 4,999,285, issued Mar. 12, 1991; 5,238,652, issued Aug. 24, 1993; and 5,622,871, issued Aug. 22, 1997 (all hereby incorporated by reference).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,871 describes analytical test devices for biological fluids which include elongated, rectangular, hollow casings to contain a test strip, and which casings have an aperture to permit visual observation of the test results on the test strip. The casings include a protective, removable cap to protect and enclose the application end of the casing. The internal constructional details of the housing are not a significant feature of the invention, but are employed to provide a housing for the particular test strip (column 12, lines 20-26).
It is desired to provide a new and improved analyte test device and method based on test strips in which the housing of the test strip is designed to promote the absorption, flow and efficiency of the test device and the tests carried out.